It is understood that the company, 50% state-owned and run by Alexei Miller, a confidante of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is currently studying the feasibility of building a pipeline to the Holy Land. The plan envisages an extension to the Blue Stream pipeline that opened between the southern Russian city of Isobilny and Ankara, Turkey, in 2003. The pipeline would be extended from the port city of Samsun (its current entry point from the Black Sea into Turkey) down to Ceyhan and thence subsea to Israel. Gazprom chief Miller is already understood to have begun negotiations with Turkey's energy minister about the extension, and the Turkish Government is said to be willing to give it the green light; a Gazprom official said a decision is expected soon on the future Russian-Turkish-Israeli pipeline. Israel currently meets its gas needs through its own offshore reserves. But these won' last forever,and the country is seeking ways to prevent energy dependency on its Arab neighbous for obvious security reasons. The pipeline project also presents an opportunity for the Kremlin: Putin is seeking a greater role for Russia in the Middle East. During an official state visit to Jerusalem in April,2005, Mr in reached an agreement with the Israelis to deepen "ll-around cooperation"between the countries. Both the Russian President and Israeli head of state Moshe Katsav spoke of the "long historical and cultural ties" between the two countries. Indeed, one-sixth of the current Israeli population is comprised of immigrants from the former Soviet Union.